India keeps up the pressure, Pakistan cries provocation

The Indian Army does not reveal plans before executing them, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said on Thursday, indicating possible retaliation to the Pakistan military beheading two Indian soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir.

Replying to a volley of questions on whether the army will respond to the barbaric act, Rawat, without giving a direct reply, said the armed forces effectively respond to such actions by the neighbouring country. “We do not talk about future plans beforehand. We share details after execution of the plan,” Gen Rawat said, refusing to elaborate. Pressed further, the General said, “When this kind of action takes place, we also carry out retaliatory action.”

Pakistan reacted saying that “provocative statements” by India will further vitiate the regional environment. Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria told Radio Pakistan that Islamabad has made it clear that no incident of mutilation of bodies of Indian soldiers has taken place.

India’sVice-Chief of Army Staff Sarath Chand on Tuesday had said the army will respond to the dastardly act at “a time and place of its choosing”. Defence Minister Arun Jaitley had said the “sacrifice (of the two soldiers) will not go in vain” and the Indian armed forces will react “appropriately” to the “inhuman act” of the Pakistani troops.

Sources said the army is weighing various options to respond to the beheading of a Naib Subedar and a BSF head constable by a Pakistani Border Action Team on the Line of Control on May 1.

Asked about the reactivation of terror launchpads across the LoC which were destroyed by India during the surgical strike last year, Rawat said the “counter-infiltration postures” have been beefed up. “Terrorists are trying to infiltrate. Snows are melting, summer months have started. Like each year, infiltration will commence. We have beefed up our counter-infiltration postures,” said Gen Rawat.

On security forces launching an anti-militancy operation at multiple places in south Kashmir's Shopian district, the army chief said it is being carried out to bring the situation under control.

“The combing operation is going on as some banks were looted and some policemen have been killed. It has been launched to ensure that the situation is brought under control,” he said.